Fruit-cleaning machine



Nov. 11, 1930." H. A. INGRAHAM FRUIT CLEANING MACHINE Filed March 2, 1928 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 0- H. A. INGRAHAM 1 ,9 I

FRUIT CLEANING MACHINE Filed M ch 2, 1928 a Sheets-Sheet; 2

NOV. 1930' I H. A. INGRAHAM FRUIT CLEANING: MACHINE Filed March '2, 1928 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 ZIAfqgnrfiam 13 J a) hm. JWN MN W kh Nqv. 11, 1930, H. A. INGRAHAM 1,780,924

FRUIT CLEANING MACHINE Filed Mar ch 2, 1928 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 j'pmzz w Ma M Nov. 11, 1930. H. A. INGRAHAM FRUIT CLEANING MACHINE Fiied March 2, 1923 a sheets-sh et 6 17am A [gym/2am N 11, 1930; HMNGRAHAM 1 180,92

I CHINE Filed March 2, 1928 s Sheets-Sheet 7 a}: w 23 1 v '3 g3 91 ll Nov. 11, 1930.

H. A. INGRAHAM FRUIT CLEANING MACHINE Filed March 2, 1928 8 Sheets-Sheet 8' J4. [lyre/M172 Patented Nov. 11, 1 930 UN IT'E sTAT'Es PATENT.b 'IC HABRY A. INGRAHAM, QF ZI 'LA H, WASHINGTON.

FRUIT-CLEANIN Macrame Application nkid. Marchi2, ices. Serial No. 258,480.

My present invention relates to machines forremoving from fruit dust or'like deposits resultlng from spraying wlth Bordeaux m1X-.

ture, arsenate of lead, and other insect or fungus-destroyin liquids. 'The deposits re-' 'sulting from suc the machine disclosedfand broadly claimed in my prior application, S N..162,023, filed January 19, 1927, and the'drawings accompanying this application illustrate a co n- 'mercial machine'that has been extensively sold and used andh'as been found very high- 'ly eflicient for the removal of dried sprayed de osits from applesand the likeeferring to the drawings, wherein like characters indicate like partsthroughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the complete machine; a

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1, some parts being broken away and some parts being in vertical longitudinal section; v i

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the machine showing some parts being broken away and some parts 1n.sect10n;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary View with some parts sectioned on the line 47 4 of Fig. 3

' Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on the 7 line 55 of Fig. 1, some parts being broken Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the receiving end of the machine; I

' Fig. 9 is a perspective viewsimilar to Fi g. 8 but with the supply hopper removed; and Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing the delivery end ofthe machine, some parts being broken away? The runningparts of the machine referred to are mostly mounted upon a framework ets 12 and a longitudinally: inclined decklil in which the latter, iii/accordance withv one feature of the invention, is formed .as the .top of an air trunk 14: that is rigidly connected to the end brackets 12 The machine illustrated is'a-duplex or twoesection ma;

chine and hence the deck 13 is formed with two largelongitudinally extended openings 15 that aifordair passages and clearance spaces, the purposeof whichfwill be hereinafter more fully considered; Thebottom". of theair trunk leis connected by a large longitudinally upwardly flaring suction V spout 16 tothe intake -p'o'rts 1f?- of a fail-cas- Iing 18-(see particularly Figs. ,2. and '5),

which fanfcasing is provided with a suitable air discharge portlS. /Yorkinglin'the fan casing .18 is afan head 19. carried by a longitudinally extendedcountershaft 20 journaled in suitable bearings 21 0 11 they end brackets .12. As shown, shaftQO'is driven from a small electric motor 22;.through a motordriven belt23 thatruns over a pulley-24 on said shaft. Flexible endless traveling convey0r belts-25 are arranged to runjover the deck 13 and back vunder the air trunk, 14:. u

The upper and'operativeportions ofsthese belts cover the long and wide openingslii so that the upper/portions of said belts are supported with freedom for vertical Vibration, Beyond the receiving end of deck 13 the belts'25 run over'pulleys 26 carried bya transverse shaft 27 journaledin bearing brackets '28 rigidly secured to the end brack ets 12. Beyond the delivery end ofdeck113 the belts 25 run 'over pulleys 29. carriedfjby a transverse countershaft '80 journaled in bearing bracketsfil rigidly secured to the adjacent endframe 12. The belts 25 are provided with projecting spacing fingers or devices that will hold the apples or the like spaced apart during the cleaning operation; and preferably, these spacing devices; are affordedby small rubber tube ,sections32 telescopedover-coiled springs 33 anchored to the fco-operating'belts by screws 34 applied, as

best shown in Fig. 7. These spacing devices 00 vided with adeck; formed withparalleldepressed hopper-likecliannels'63. The hopperchannels 63 have longitudinallyslotted i v The fruit, assumedto beapples, is-placed vin the hopper, and will be engaged by the for bottoms in which are arranged to run'pairs of parallel supply belts 64:. The belts 54 run over grouppulleys GSLca-rried by transverse shaft-66 journaled in the framework ofthe table 62. The belts 64:, as shown, are ,prov ded with projecting lugs or kn0bs'67; that assist in feeding the action. n. 1 v

i Journaled in the journal brackets 28, and jextende'd transversely over the shaftbfi and pulleys 65, is a shaft 68 that is, provided-with radially projecting arms 69. .;The .a'rgms69 are in circumferentiallyspaced group'sfand there is a laterally spaced group for each runway, The arms 69 are very fleXi'bleJand are preferably shortv sections of rubber hose secured at their radiallyinner ends to hubs on the shafts68. These armsoperate in'the unanner noted in the description of the operation, At one side of the machine theshafts 27, 66and 68, respectively, are provided with sprockets 70,71 and 72, over which runsa sprocket-chain 7 3. As described, the-shafts 66 and 68 and hence the supply belts and agitating reels are driven from the shaft Thenumeral 7 indicates stop' flanges on-the ,delivery :end of the hopper deck which are arranged to holdback the "apples or fruit except such as are delivered to the supply To assist in positioning the apples 'so that they will'be picked up one at a time and ,deliveredto the belts 25, there isfpro'vided "for'each runway. a so-called positioning de- .vice which in the preferred arrangement, is in the nature of athree-tined fork 75 secured 40 to afdepending stem ,76; which, a sfshown, .by a "set'screwf'N is rigidly but adjustably secured to an armr78projected from the adacent end bracket 12 (see particularly Figs. ,8 and The prongs of theso-called fork 75are curved or depressed so that they. will receive and hold the apples delivered thereto, as best'shown byldotted linesin-F 4, and thus position the apples, so that they .will be picked ,up by-the upwardlymov ng spacing fingersl32 which latter areiarranged .to move freely between the prongs of said forks and'clear of the stems 7 6. ,r The clean Iapples deliveredlto the delivery brushes 59 will fromthe latter be fcarried by the fingers .32 onto a deck 79, which may be assumed to be a sorting deck and which, as shown, is se cured to the bearing brackets 31:,- This deck S79 is provided with notches 80 through which the fingers 32 may move downwardly,-. d co to revent the apples'ffrom passing down- ,war'dthrough said notches:80. Stop fingers '81 (seeFig 8) are secured to deck 79 and projected centrally through the notches "80 betweenthe line oftravel of the two rows of 1 fingers Deck 7 of a flexible material s secured on a' metalplate79ti which at the edges of the notches 80 is beveled at 80 is wardly moving upper brushes of the supply belt 64 and will be crowded forward, someof .the apples at the front beingpressed against the stops 74. Atthe' center of the hopper channels thejapples engaged by the belts 64 will be fed slowly but progressively forward and delivered one at a time upon the positioning devices or forks so that'vthere will {always beone'apple on each of the forks.

the pairs of fingers 32 of the conveyor belts 1 V 25 move upward through the forks theywill pick up theapples one at-atime and position the same on said belts and holdthe. apples 1011' the; belts. always spaced apart; The apples are first moved between the relatively l-fixedireceiving brushes 56 and-by the lat- ,ter will be directed between the vibratory lean ng, br s 3 will; he ppl w l then be delivered intotherespectiyarunways I 1 formed each by the lthreebrushesfib and underlying belt 25. v soon as onejapple has been picked off; from r a positioning fork 7 5 another will be erowdedforwardgand will take its place on the fork-readytovbe picked r b the 1 9 wa d y n i s Pa tfi gers 32. I 1

carried between i the laterally spaced brushes 35 they will be subjected tol'a eomplexwvibration produced'first by the alternate endwise thrusting actions of theendwi'se, presented bristles of the opposing brushes 35:. Under As the apples are I this vibratory movement ,of the brushesfthe apples will be thrown back and forth as they are progressively-fed forward by the conveyor belts and will be continuously turned so that during the progress through tharunways all surfaces. ofv the apples, ,their calyxes, will be presented to endvvise thrusting action of the brushes. Thisturning action of the apples is produced Ein partl,by the fact that the laterally spaced brushes 35 are located low do nZs thattheytend to make, the apples jump to and from the conveyor belts 25. Moreover, the turningof the apples is very greatly facilitatedby the fact that the centralportionso f the flexible coni lveyor belts25 are not solidly supported but are hungover the air channelslfi so that the belts themselves will be: vibrated vertically, thereby causing the apples to r jump upward and more 'or less againstgtheibristl'es of the overlying brushes, In a; flimsily V constructed 7 r machine, wherein the wholemachine is given quite violent vibratory movement, it: ,has

been found that rotation of the ,appleswvould i e a i itated yi u hr mt en" u i in w .Iconst'ructed machines, wherein the strainis rfieliere it i m Y t!r tiizn-asii im s P s le,

V I? has bsen fo uhdto beef the utmost-iniportance that the apple carrying brushes of p the conveyor beltsibef-ree so that vibration "completely and. throughlycleaned bythe brushes under the repeated brush th rust'ing actions 7 and contacts. *Whn the machine is "in action, quite a strong suction will be proa 10 duced causing air to constantly1m0ve from "the brush surfaces and theint e'rvening'run V vvay' s downward through the openings 25 in the conveyor belts so asto carry" the dust brushed from the'app-le's to=the fan1f-i1om 'Which the duct-laden air Willfbe dischargediI out through the spout; 18%. The br'ushes are p and betweenthe vibratory brushes thereof.

thujs kept clean'fan'd fthefaccuinul'ation o'ffdust {in the'cleaning runways' -is avoided."

7 -1 As} they are carried by. the conveyor belts from between the vibratory brushes they will becar'ried between? the bristles bf the delivery brushes 59 and; by the latter 'will be for-adj ustinent transversely: of the runway, q

' :6. The structure defined injclaim V 1, in further combination with a fruit-positioning a device inthe space between thereceiving-ends of said receiving vbrushes; s a hopper f di'rec ted' onto 'the'lsortingtable 79 or, other rec ep tacle where they willbe discharged from 1 25 fthe-as tion of-the ehga'gingfingers 32:

F am the above *statements, ;it should. be

' a fibv-ious'that during the vibratory actioiijsthe laflpples are positively held out of coiitact; the

. with-the I other, and no timeicioihe into 7 contact'withfany hardsurface suehia would 1 bruiseorin anygway damage thefskinof the apples, The brushes 3.5 are capable of very quick'adjustmentiso" asito set the machine for fa nduof discharging theapples from the cleani-ng devicesi-means isprovided for handling the apples without bruising orv in any way =4 damaging the same; Oficourse"whenthe' ap- Iples reach the socalled[sortingtable 7 9 they will'be properly takenrcare of either-by a V I sorter or' by other means not nec'essaryforthe "purposes of this case to t-(insider; The corner :portionsi9 .of the flexible deck 79' wherethey *proj'e'ct beyondithebeveled corners 80 will fyieldtothe depressing'action of fruit delivered Y onto the; deck from the ZfingersBQ "of V V i the conveyor. belts 25 arid thus prevent thefruit from damaged i11 delivery action. f

What Lela-in Y Q for producing relative movement jof the brushes to elean the" fruit, means for holding the; fruit "spaced-while being progressively moved throughthi's'ruiiway, and relatively stationary receiving brushes at the receiving;

' producing relative movement of the brushes the apples 110 the cleaning devices to clean the fruitymean's-for holding the fruit "spaced -whilebeing progressively moved throughgthe runway; and relatively-stationary spa'ced delivery brushes at thedelivery end If of the runway and between; the vibratory brushes thereof. I it Y brushes at the delivery endof' the runway 3.- In a fruit cleaning machine, cleaning-f v brushes spaced to afiord a runway, i'neans for'v producing relative movement of the brushes to clean the fruit, means for holding thejfruit spaced while [being progressively moved 1 through the runway, relatively stationary re- 7 ceiving brushes atthe receiving end of said o 1 f runway 'fondelivering the'fruit into thefrunway; and relativelystatio'nary spaced delivery 4. The structure defined in claim 1, in V which said receiving brushes are adjustable which said" delivery brushes are supported n'fieansfordeliveringjthe apples one at a'time "taking the apples from said positioning device and forcing the same between saidre'ceiv finibrushesi i 1 l gin a fruit;cleaningmachine, cleaningd apples' or "fruitQtobeiclean'ed; jl t ffbrus'hes'jspacedto a-florda runway,fmeaiis for Q produ'cing. relative movement of the brushes 'to'clean thefruit, a fruitpositioning device atthe receiving. endottherunwayifme'anso for delivering thefruit 'ontofsaid positioning a device, rneanscv for progressively feeding the fruit: through; said lrunway includihg'devices T for pickingthe fruit from said positioning device and carrying thle s am'e into said run way, relatively-stationary laterally spaced Y receiving brushes at the receiving end of the 8. In a 'fruit 'cleaningmachine; cleaning brushes spacedto aflf'ord a runway','means-for producing relative movement of the brushes 'hayingriradially p'rojectihg flexible arms. v

9; a fruit cleaiiing machineacleaning l' h s w a'iford unway means fo producing relative movement of the-brushes. to clean the f'ruit,'; means: for conveying the fru'itthrgou hsaid runway and fdr'holding to cleanthefruit,*1heans*for conveying the v 'fruit through said runway a nd for holding thesam's'paced, and means for delivering the fruit to'said runway including arotary shaft the same spaced, means for deliveriri'gthe I Q hopper and at the bottom of; said hopper laterally spaced parallelfeedbeh's; andan fr uit'to'saidrunway includingatrough-liljie 1 overlying rotary shaft having flexible arms.

10. In a fruit cleaning machine, cleaning brushes spaced to afford a runway, means for producing relative movement of the brushes to clean the fruit, an endless conveyor beltaffording a bottom to said runway, relatively stationary laterally spaced receiving brushes at the receiving end of the runway, a fruitpositioning device adjacent the receiving ends of said receiving brushes, said conveyor belt having fruit-spacing devices arranged to pick the fruit from said positioning device, and means for directing the fruit one at a time to said positioning device. 7

11. In a fruit cleaning machine, cleaning brushes spaced to afford a runway, means for producing vibratory movement of the brushes to clean the fruit, and a conveyor belt affording a bottom to said runway and supported with its central portion free for vertical vibration to assist in the fruit-turning action under vibration produced in the clean- I ing action.

12. In a fruit cleaning machine, cleaning brushes spaced to afford a runway, means for producing vibratory movement of the brushes to clean the fruit, and a conveyor belt affording a bottom to said runway and sup ported with its central portion free for ver tical vibration to assist in the fruit-turning action under vibration produced in the cleaning action, the said belt having perforations therein for permitting removed from the fruit.

. 13. In a fruit cleaning machine, cleaning brushes spaced to afford a runway, means for producing vibratory movement of the brushes to clean the fruit, a movable endless conveyor belt, the upper portion of which affords a bottom for the runway, said belt having perforations for the passage .of air and dust and having projecting fruit-spacing devices, an air trunk underlying the operative portion of said belt, and means for pro ducing partial vacuum in said air trunk whereby dust-laden air will be drawn from the runway under the fruit-cleaning action.

14. The structure defined in claim 13, in which said air trunk has a slotted top plate that supports the edges of said belt but leaves the central portion thereof free for vertical vibration.

15.,In a fruit cleaning-machine, cleaning brushes spaced to aiford a runway, means for producing relative movement of the brushes a discharge of dust a slotted top plate that sup-ports the edges of said belt but leaves the central portion thereof free for vertical vibration, said con- 7 to clean the fruit, a movable endless conveyor belt, the upper portion of which afiords a bottom for the runway, said belt having perforations for the passage of air and dust and having projecting fruit-spacing devices, an air trunk underlying the operative portion of said belt, means for producing partial vacuum in said air trunk whereby dust-laden air will be drawn from the runway under the fruit-cleaning action, said air trunk having 

